Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was aScottish author most noted for his stories about the detective SherlockHolmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the fieldof crime fiction, and the adventures of Professor Challenger. He was aprolific writer whose other works include science fiction stories, historic-al novels, plays and romances, poetry, and non-fiction. Conan was ori-ginally a given name, but Doyle used it as part of his surname in his lateryears. Source: Wikipedia

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Chapter

1

The Science of Deduction

Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantelpiece, andhis hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case. With his long, white,nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle and rolled back his leftshirtcuff. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon thesinewy forearm and wrist, all dotted and scarred with innumerablepuncture-marks. Finally, he thrust the sharp point home, pressed downthe tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined armchair with a longsigh of satisfaction.Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance, but custom had not reconciled my mind to it. On the contrary, from dayto day I had become more irritable at the sight, and my conscienceswelled nightly within me at the thought that I had lacked the courage toprotest. Again and again I had registered a vow that I should deliver mysoul upon the subject; but there was that in the cool, nonchalant air of my companion which made him the last man with whom one wouldcare to take anything approaching to a liberty. His great powers, hismasterly manner, and the experience which I had had of his many ex-traordinary qualities, all made me diffident and backward in crossinghim.Yet upon that afternoon, whether it was the Beaune which I had takenwith my lunch or the additional exasperation produced by the extremedeliberation of his manner, I suddenly felt that I could hold out nolonger."Which is it to-day," I asked, "morphine or cocaine?"He raised his eyes languidly from the old black-letter volume whichhe had opened."It is cocaine," he said, "a seven-per-cent solution. Would you care totry it?"